Tris' Return to Ninver
by LikeAFairyTaleAgain
Summary: This story is set right after WOTE and Tris, Sandry, Briar, and Daja return to Ninver and run into Tris' family, what will the Chandlers do when they find out their daughter could make them incredibly wealthy?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi peoples. Ok, this is my first fanfic so please show some mercy. The story is that Sandry, Briar, Daja, and Tris go to Ninver, where Tris' family is because Sandry's cousin (I know, another cousin) wants her to be in her wedding. So Tris meets her family who didn't want her, but what will they do when they realize that Tris could be rich? Please read until the end, I promise that the story will get more interesting. R &R**

Disclaimer: I am not Tamora Pierce, therefore Sandry, Daja, Briar, Tris, Darra Chandler, and any other character in the COM is not mine. Their Tamora Pierce's characters, got it?

This is set a few months after the Will of the Empress.

In Ninver, Caphen, Darra Chandler smiled proudly as she watched her daughter, Bella being fitted for her wedding gown. Her only daughter, betrothed to a nobleman. Darra barely noticed her smile widening into a greedy grin, Bella's marriage would mean so many good deals for her family, bringing the Chandler family to a new level.

Bella stepped out from behind a screen, having changed out of her wedding gown and into a less elaborate dress. "Mama," she whined, "That stupid maid ripped my sleeve again." She lifted her arm to show a slight tear. "I want a new maid." Despite the teaer on her dress, and the scowl on her face, Bella was still stunning. Of course, a merchant girl had to be stunning to capture a noble man.

"Of course dear." Darra replied, anything for her only daughter. _No, not my only daughter, _Darra thought trying and failing to suppress bad memories, _there was another one. Trisana, Darra's younger sister._ Trisana was a failure, attracting demons wherever she went. Darra shuddered as she remembered the miserable girl, plump and ugly, scowling all the time, thunder striking wherever she went. No, she would never regret giving the girl to the temples.

"Ma'am" Darra looked around to see a timid new maid at her side, "There are visitors here who request your presence."

Darra frowned, it was very late at night, who could be calling at this hour. "Do I know them?"

"No ma'am," the maid replied. "Truthfully, they look like poor travelers that probably need a place to stay tonight. One of their party is hurt."

Darra drew herself to her full height, her gray eyes stormy. "This isn't a poor house. I'm not going to feed and house every beggar that comes this way. Send them away."

"Well ma'am," the maid shrunk under her mistresses glare, "It's just that they said Baron George sent them this way. They have his signet ring."

Bella perked up instantly, hearing her betrothed's name. **(a/n ugh….is that how you spell betrothed's?)** He had returned to his fief to deal with some problems, and should have already returned. "Come on Mama, let's just go see them." She begged, knowing her mother would do as she said.

"Fine," Darra wiped her hands on her practical skirts, and walked with her daughter to the sitting room.

She stopped abruptly in the doorway, seeing three sopping wet, muddy strangers sitting on her expensive furniture. Their clothes looked worn and gave the impression that the strangers probably didn't have enough money to pay for an inn. Darra was barely able to control her anger as she and Bella settled into two armchairs and watched the strangers ruin her furniture. Angrily, she met the eyes of one stranger, with cornflower blue eyes and a button nose, sitting as proudly as if this was her sitting room. _I'll teach her to act so proudly before her betters_ Darra decided. Her eyes swept over the other two, sharp eyes catching the double "x" hidden underneath tattoos on the young man's hands. A thief, Darra knew, observing him with untrusting eyes, he looked tense, watching the third member of their party carefully. Darra followed his eyes to find a young girl in tunic and leggings who looked to be unconscious. _A trader! A Trader in _her_ house._ Darra stood up ready to order the bedraggled travelers out of her home, Baron George's word or not. **(a/n: know who the travelers are? You should….. ok, back to the story.)**

"Wait, madam, please, just spare me a few moments of your time." The blue-eyed girl spoke, her capchen accented with emelanese. When the girl noticed that Darra was still going to eject them from her home, she produced a ring and a gold astrel.

"For your time." The girl told her. "and that is George's signet ring. He told us that we could find someone to help my friend here."

Darra fingered the coin. "Fine, you have my attention. Give me a good reason why we should put up with you."

"And give me any information you might have about George." Bella added anxiously.

"All right." Sandry, the girl, took a deep breath and began, with occasional help from the boy.

Darra listened as the girl explained that she and her family had traveled from Emelan because her cousin had requested her presence in Ninver for her wedding. The four, the last member of their group was coming, had set off and reached Capchen safely. However, a few miles away, they had come across a traveler that was being attacked by bandits. They had, naturally, gone to help him. Unfortunately, the man's guards had been killed and their trader friend had been hurt. The man, George, had given them his signet ring and told the girl and the thief to ride ahead with the trader. He had told them that they would find help here and a place to stay. George and the fourth member of their family had been unhurt, but their horses had been harmed. They were on their way.

"Well," Darra said at the end of their tale. "That is quite a tale. But I refuse to allow a thief and a trader sleep in my home. It's unheard of!"

Bella frowned and leaned over to whisper in her mother's ear. "Please Mama, give them a place to sleep for one night. A good deed always starts a good marriage."

The frown remained on Darra's face, "What would your father say if he were hear, defending a thief and a trader?"

"Please madam," Sandry pleaded. "Fifteen gold astrels if you allow us to spend the night and send for a healer. We'll leave the next morning."

Darra's eyebrows shot up, fifteen gold astrels could feeed a poor man and his family for half a year. "Fourty gold astrels." She demanded, if these strangers were so direly in need of a place to stay, they would pay. And, Darra thought with a smile, the money would go towards making her daughter's wedding even grander.

"Twenty five."

"Thirty five," Darra haggled, "Take it, or sleep in the streets tonight."

Sandry looked at the boy, Briar for advice. _I only have twenty five gold astrels_ she told him through their magical connection. _But Daja needs to be seen to. _

_Give her what you have right now_ Briar counseled. _And you can give her the rest tomorrow when you reach your town house. Stupid merchants _he muttered.

Sandry hid a smile and told the woman, "I'm afraid I only have twenty five gold astrels, which is enough to pay for a good, licensed, healer." Here, she looked pointedly at Darra, "And I'll pay you the rest tomorrow. You have my word that when I reach my lodgings tomorrow, I will send the money to you. I swear by all the gods."

"Fine, but you will pay me forty five gold astrels total."

Briar winced at the price, but Sandry replied carelessly, "It's a deal."

"And…" Darra added, "You pay for my furniture that you have ruined."

"Well", Sandry replied with a smug smile, "That can be fixed easily." And the mud and water began to slide of the furniture, leaving them as clean as before, a testimony to Sandry's thread magic.

Darra jumped back in shock.

"I'm Sandry," the girl curtseyed gracefully her eyes mischevious though tired, "That's Briar Moss"- he bowed, "And our sister Daja Kisubo" she gestured towards the unconscious figure.

"I'm Darra Chandler, and this is my daughter, Bella Chandler, Baron George's betrothed." Darra noted how both strangers had widened their eyes in shock. Little did she know that they were conversing behind their surprised eyes.

_Chandler? _Sandry asked. _Oh gods, the Chandlers of Ninver._

Briar's mind voice was equally shocked, _Tris' mother is named Darra. She's going to murder us. _

_This is such a mess. _Sandry stated, trying to keep fear from creeping into her mind voice.

_I guess we'll have to stay here. _Briar told her reluctantly, _Daja needs medical attention and George'll probably bring her here. I pity us, dear sister._

_Ever the player, aren't we, Briar?_ Sandry asked.

_Well, I'm not going to let my talents go to waste. _Briar replied, _I think the woman wants her money Sandry._

Indeed, Darra Chandler was looking impatient.

Sandry sighed and produced the money, handing it over.

Action instantly took place, a maid was sent out to find a healer, and Sandry and Briar were led to their rooms. After they saw that Daja was being seen to, the exhausted brother and sister toppled onto their respective beds and fell asleep instantly.

Sandry blinked sleepily hearing someone knocking on her door. Was it morning already? Yanking the door open to stop the incessant banging, she found a maid at her door.

"Mistress Darra says that the fourth member of your group has arrived. I'm to lead you to the sitting room." Sandry groaned, Tris would probably be shooting lightning in every direction. But she followed the servant adjusting her dress and telling it to stop wrinkling.

She met Briar on the way, looking equally worried and afraid.

The maid threw open the door to the sitting room, and Sandry caught sight of Bella hugging George. But she skidded to a stop before she took another step. Poor Briar, however, even more tired than his foster sister walked straight into Darra Chandler, who resembled a statue with her figure tense in shock. The woman was staring at the newcomer in shock, stormy gray eyes meeting stormy gray eyes. "Trisana?" Darra asked the stranger who was now throwing off lightning sparks, "I told the dedicates that I never wanted to see you again."

_Foolish woman_ Sandry thought to Briar scornfully. Darra Chandler seemed to be oblivious to the wind that was now blowing decorative figures into the air. That was, until she was knocked into unconciousness by a portrait of Tris' grandfather.

_Great entrance Tris_ Briar told her drily.

**So, what did you think? R&R**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi peoples, again. I'm really glad you liked the last chapter and I was trying really hard to finish this chapter sooner. Well, I'm finally finished, this chapter was so hard to write. I know, excuses, excuses, excuses. Anyways, hope you enjoy reading this. Oh yea, and I promise the next chapter will be much more interesting. Don't forget to review.**

Thanks to everyone that reviewed…

Eclipsa: Thank you so much! I promise to try to update sooner in the future.

KrisEleven: Again, thanks for your review. Ok, One.. about Briar's double x tattoos, I needed him to be identified as a thief for this story, so lets just say that Darra is very, very, sharp and she saw them. Two…Tris wasn't really attacking her mother, she was just really upset. She did lose her temper in WOTE, "He felt a roiling storm of power approaching…'That would be Tris'….She had put on a gown again, though it was hard to see it under the lightning that crawled over her head and dress.."(Tamora Pierce pg 385-386). And although she has better control of her temper, this is the worst situation that Tris can be in, nothing could probably make her lose her temper more. You have to remember how hurt she was that no one wanted her, that her own parents told a stranger that they didn't want her anymore. Wouldn't you be very, very, annoyed if you were forced to go back to them? Three…I guess I didn't really explain why they had to go to Chandler house that well, I tried to explain more in this chapter but basically they can't waste time finding an inn because Daja is hurt. They don't trust random inns that they just happen to find because of what happens in WOTE and George told them that people at Chandler house, which is closer to them than Sandry's house, all the way across Ninver, will help them. Four…about using 'player' I'm not sure if it's a COM word either so if it isn't sorry to all my readers. As you'll see, the mother and daughter aren't really evil, they just can't really accept Tris because of what society dictates. Darra has basically lived her whole life as a merchant so she was taught that she did the right thing. I think in this chapter you'll see that she's not really that evil. And Bella is basically a good hearted, kind of dim-witted girl who does everything she's told, and she was taught to dislike Tris. Wow, that was a really long reply……

Moony's Fire: I love it when Tris is mad too. As for what happens….read and see…..

Echo Chambers: Thanx for reviewing, I'm really glad you liked it.

Darkjewelledassassin: thanks for reviewing! (that's really starting to sound repetitive now, huh?) I'll try to update sooner next time

XIII Dragon: thanks for your review. I'm glad you like how Tris entered.

Kaypgirl: Sorry, I don't think there will be any BriarxSandry or BriarxTris, I can't really imagine any of these, but who knows maybe I'll try…

American Elemental: Thanks. Well….here's the next chapter!

SakuraBlossomQuiet1: I'll try to make you happy and update sooner next time.

Wolfmage of Avalon: Thanks!

Cherri88: I'm really looking forward to how Darra will react too. That's coming next chapter.

**Disclaimer: I am not Tamora Pierce, therefore Sandry, Daja, Briar, Tris, Darra Chandler, and any other character in the COM is not mine. I have nothing against Briar, just in case you're wondering, he's just the easiest character to make fun of. And I'm sorry but Daja might be a bit OC in this chapter.**

Baron George, the only person present who did not fully understand the situation guffawed as he watched his future mother-in-law topple and land in an undignified heap underneath Briar.

"Sorry Mistress Chandler," Briar apologized, spitting out Chandler like it was an insult, then under his breath, he muttered, "_kaq"_

Darra picked herself up, her eyes never leaving her daughter's. Never had she imagined that she would stare at Tris' scowling face again. The mage had said she had no magic, the dedicates believed that she was possessed by a spirit, there was no way the girl would bring a profit to her family, and so Darra and Valden (**a/n: Tris' father for those of you who don't remember him)** had given their youngest daughter to the Stone Circle Temple. But even that selfless action had not removed the stain from the Chandler name. Darra's mother-in-law never let her forget that she had brought a "monster" into the world. Darra had frowned but said nothing, her mother-in-law was the matriarch of the Chandler house, she might as well commit suicide if she chose to disagree with the powerful old woman. Besides, she loved Bella more than she ought to, and giving up her useless younger daughter meant a brighter future for her Bella.

In fact, Darra had been surprised that Bella was able to have such a great marriage. She shuddered, remembering the years after Tris had been sent away. The Chandler name was stained with the reputation that they had brought a ghost possessed girl into the world. Only in recent years had most people begun to forget Trisana Chandler. And now, Darra frowned, when her daughter finally had such a wonderful opportunity, when her family would connected with a noble family, Tris had returned to ruin the good name that they had so meticulously attempted to preserve and save.

"Get out, now." Darra's voice was hard, why did Tris have to have the worst timing?

The winds blew harder, and Darra blanched, remembering when Tris had caused lightning to strike and the house had nearly burned down.

Tris still hadn't moved, a few, fat tears leaked out of her eyes and dripped down her face and yet she said nothing. Her mind voice, however, was forcibly voicing what she thought of the event.

_How could you do this to me! You know what this woman did to me! Well, if she doesn't want me here, I'm leaving._

Sandry sighed, Tris was angry, angrier than her _saati _had ever seen her. She knew it was no use to calm Tris, but Briar, poor poor boy was still attempting to sweeten her temper.

_What, coppercurls, attempting to be Mila of the Grain? 'Cause you realize you're shedding enough light to be mistaken for a goddess. _

Tris turned her withering glare on her foster-brother.

_Shut up Briar!_

He pretended to sniffle and added, _seriously, rein in the lightning Tris, I won't forgive you if you burn any plants into ashes. _She had done it before.

That triggered a memory in Tris' mind, when she was small and her father had beaten her for creating hail, a bolt of lightning had struck the house, and it had caught on fire. No, Tris told herself, I won't do it again, I'll show them all that I've changed.

And with her newfound determination, Tris, to everyone's relief, calmed down, and caused the lightning to disappear.

"Witch!" Bella screeched, frightened beyond her wits, and fainted into George's arms.

To Darra's surprise, her daughter did not scowl and yell as she used to, but allowed her lips to curve in a smile.

"I am a witch, a weather witch to be exact." She replied with the same polite expression that she had used so often in the Namornese court.

"You're crazy," Darra replied harshly, "We had the most expensive mage in Ninver test you, by the gods, you're nothing more than a failure." She took a deep breath trying to bury the memories of her daughter's, and therefore her failure. "I will not repeat myself once more, I never want to see your face again, get out of my house."

Darra waited for her daughter to leave, deciding to give her ten seconds before she had the guards forcibly eject her. One, she thought, two, three, four, five, six…

Before she reached seven, Tris had moved to leave but the other girl, Sandry, had grabbed her hand and she shook her head no.

"Tris, you can't leave. And _Mistress_ Chandler can't force you to leave."

"And why not?" Darra and Tris both asked at the same time.

"Because, Tris, Daja's hurt. A healer's finally tending to her, and I doubt we can move her without causing more problems. And, mistress Chandler, I already paid twenty five gold astrels, and you will allow us to remain if you want twenty more."

Darra frowned, biting on her lip, the part of her that was raised the merchant battled with the mother that wished for Bella to not lose her betrothal because of her sister's possessed soul. Finally her merchant self won out. It was not because of Tris' hurt expression, she repeatedly told herself, that she allowed them to stay, but she didn't believe herself.

"Eighty gold astrels more, and she can stay." Darra offered.

"Fine." Sandry replied, too tired to haggle. "I'll give it to you tomorrow."

_Glad to know I'm worth so much_ Tris thought wryly to her worried brothers and sisters.

"Young lady, this girl has just paid more than you will ever see in your entire life for you to stay the night. Proper manners say that you should thank her for spending so much money are you."

Carelessly, Sandry interjected, "No need, she's my sister."

_And just when you forget that Sandry's a Bag.._ Briar drawled, with his mind voice, attempting to keep Tris calm. He purposely blocked Sandry, knowing she would be furious if she had heard.

_You have a death wish, don't you Briar_ Tris replied, her voice just shaking a little from the unexpected motherly reprimand. _Don't ever let Sandry catch you saying that if you value your life._

_I still remember the last time she heard me say that_ Briar thought with a shudder.

"She can sleep in the trundle bed underneath your bed." Darra told Sandry.

She turned to glare at Tris as if it were her fault that Darra had acted like a mother to hurt. Darra swept out of the room with mixed emotions leaving behind her daughter with equally confused emotions.

A healer brushed past Darra on her way into the sitting room, looking exhausted. "Your friend will be fine." She told them, then left without another word, obviously not willing to waste her energy on talking.

"Well…."Briar said, "Good night." He nodded towards George who was anxiously trying to wake his fiancée.

The mages walked into their rooms, Briar immediately falling asleep when he touched his pillow. Sandry spent a good minute convincing Tris to take the bed before she fell asleep on the trundle bed. Tris, however, despite exhaustion stayed awake longer, her eyes stinging with tears. _No, I refuse to cry in this house. Never again._ Eventually, she closed her eyes and drifted of into sleep, dreaming of the terrible days before she met Sandry, Briar and Daja. Never had she thought that she would stay in her parents' house for a Trader.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sandry groaned, she was so tired, and someone would not stop knocking on the door. She got up, stumbling the first few steps and yanked the door open. A maid stood there. "Mistress Darra says that she will accompany you to your lodgings so that you cannot escape paying her. She is waiting for you, and my mistress dislikes having to wait."

Sandry hid a sigh, at least they would be out of this house soon.

"Alright." She told the maid, "Please tell mistress Chandler that we're coming."

She closed the door and mentally shouted, _BRIAR, TRIS! Wake up._

_Ugh….shut up Bag_ Briar groaned.

Sandry looked at Tris, who seemed very eager to leave as she was already awake and was reaching for the doorknob. The noble lifted her eyebrow, and Tris got the message. She sent a shock down her bond to Briar, just enough to wake him and shouted, _Get up you lazy thief boy_.

Briar groaned and rolled over. _Fine, fine, I'll meet you in the stables. How did I trap myself with two cranky girls?_ He moaned.

Tris and Sandry smiled at each other. Typical Briar. Tris reached for the doorknob again. "Hold on a minute." Sandry called.

Tris looked down to see her dress unwrinkling and looking brand new again.

"Now we go." Sandry said.

At the stables, Darra was already sitting in a carriage **(a/n: did they have carriages?) **with Daja placed next to her, still unconscious.

After being reassured that Daja was fine, just sleeping after the healing, Tris was told to sit in the carriage. When Briar finally arrived, muttering something about how unnatural it was that girls got ready faster then boys, they set off.

The curtains were drawn together so that no one could see who sat inside the carriage, Darra would try to hide her daughter's arrival as long as possible. This, however, resulted in a long and uncomfortable ride as neither mother nor daughter said a word and Daja remained fast asleep. _Daj, wake up_ Tris begged, but when the Trader made no reply, she blocked her connections and chose to sink into the soothing calm of meditation.

Sandry and Briar rode on their horses, closely guarded by the footmen of the Chandler house. The footmen's eyes grew bigger and bigger as they traveled across the city, and turned into the noble's district. It was a good two hours before they finally reached Sandry's town house.

Darra gave a sigh of relief when the footmen finally opened the door to the carriage, symbolizing that they were there, she had gotten tired of staring at the curtains, hoping to find something to look at other than Tris. The Trader, it seemed had been jolted awake by the sudden stop because she opened her eyes and asked, "Tris?"

"I think we just arrived at Sandry's town house." The redhead replied, answering her unspoken question. She breathed a sigh of relief, happy to get out of the stuffy carriage.

Darra stepped out of the carriage, and nearly fainted with surprise. Was that girl, Sandry, a noble? And she would have to be incredibly wealthy to have a house this size, it could be a castle, by the gods!

"How many marble piles does Sandry have?" Daja asked, exasperated.

"You don't want to know," Sandry replied with a groan, turning to face the servants that had lined up, dressed in their finest, to greet her.

Darra, had she been a horse, would have perked up her ears hearing this conversation. This girl Sandy, no Lady Sandry was probably very wealthy if she could afford homes like this. The noble turned around and told Darra to meet her in her study, the servants would lead her, and returned to the task of telling the servants where to put their bags.

Slowly, the courtyard emptied, until only the four mages and Darra remained. Briar ran off to make sure no one had harmed his _shakkan_ tree, Daja was tired and retired to her rooms, while Sandry went to her study where a visitor was waiting for her. Tris turned to go to her rooms when Darra called after her, "Wait, Trisana."

Tris flinched at her full name, she had managed to get everyone to call her by Tris, even Niko. "Tris." She replied.

"I'm sorry?"

"It's Tris, mother" She swallowed, the word sounded unnatural to her tongue. Lark and Rosethorn had been more of a mother to her than Darra, but a small part of her hoped to make amends with Darra now that she could prove she wasn't a failure. "Don't you remember?"

"Of course," Darra replied smoothly, she chose not to remind the girl that she had been disowned before she was sure of what she had heard. "Did Sandry really call you her sister?" Darra asked, feeling a small twinge of guilt. The words sounded as if she was taking advantage of her daughter's connections, which she supposed she was. I shouldn't be doing this, Darra thought, it felt wrong, but she knew that her mother-in-law would never forgive her for giving up the opportunity. Somehow, someway, Uraelle **(a/n: I know she's not Tris' grandmother, but it seemed like the perfect name so, that's her name in this story…) **always heard of everything that happened in Ninver, and she would certainly hear that the wealthy new noble considered Tris her sister. "Is she really a noble?"

"Yes," Tris replied, seeing her mother's goal, "Lady Sandrilene fa Toren, great-niece of his grace, the duke of Emelan, and a bunch of other titles that are too long to be remembered is my foster sister. And she, Daja, Briar, Lark, and Rosethorn are more family than you will ever be."

Tris turned to the maid that walked towards them, obviously carrying a message, and missed the hurt expression on Darra's face.

"Her ladyship says that she would like Tris to meet the visitor that's coming, and that she will pay mistress Chandler. I'm to lead you to her study." The maid said with a curtsey, and started walking towards the study room.

Tris, however, did not wish to spend any more time with Darra than she had to, and focused on her and Sandry's bond. She sped off, on a platform of wind, so close to the ground it seemed as if she were walking and told the maid that she was going ahead.

Darra frowned, suddenly left behind with the maid. Had Tris been flying? Her feet barely touched the ground. In a considerably short amount of time, they had arrived at the study. She pushed the door open to reveal Sandry, Briar, Tris, and Daja sitting comfortably in chairs and talking, or in Daja's case, sleeping.

"Ah, yes. Come in Mistress Chandler," Sandry's voice was cold and polite an abrupt change from the warm and soothing voice she was using before. Darra hurriedly swept into a deep curtsey, murmuring her apologies for treating her ladyship in such a terrible manner.

"Please don't mistress Chandler," Sandry replied, "After all, you are Tris' mother."

Darra rose, her sharp eyes not missing the questioning glance Sandry sent to Tris.

The noble swept to her desk, and pulled out a metal box that looked impossible to open. She brought out a piece of cloth from a slit in her dress and held it before the tiny lock. Darra watched in amazement as the cloth slithered into the hole like liquid, and soon a loud click that signaled the safe was unlocked followed.

"My own special key," Sandry told her with a smile, "Daja designed it."

_You and Tris, _Briar muttered, _you could have made such wonderful thieves. _

_She's a noble, dolt_. Tris' reply was harsher than usual.

Ignoring her siblings' bickering, Sandry opened the safe and counted out one hundred and five gold astrels. Cloth instantly formed a bag around the money, and Darra watched greedily wondering if she could keep the beautiful creation.

Just as Sandry was about to hand over the money, the study's door opened and a beautiful young woman appeared in the doorway.

"Yumi!" Sandry cried, money forgotten. She rushed forward to hug the newcomer.

"It has been too long, Sandry," the stranger replied with a musical voice, embracing her old friend and cousin.

Darra watched in shock. Yumi. that was the name on everyone's lips, these days.

**Ok, finally done with this chapter, next chapter, I promise, will be more interesting so don't give up hope on me yet! So, what did you think? R & R please.**


	3. AN, please don't kill me!

Sorry, this isn't an update ,just an A/n. First of all, please don't kill me….

Anyways, thank you guys so much for your reviews. Sorry, I know it's been a long time since I last updated. My life went really chaotic for the last month or so….lots of hw, tests, projects and school comes first so Sorry!

But, spring break is finaly here so **I will update this week, probably on Sunday, well hopefully on Sunday maybe Monday. **Anyways, sorry….i'm working on the third chapter right now, so…bye!


	4. Chapter 3

**Hi peoples. I know it's been a long time since I last updated and I'm soooo sorry. But like I say I have a bunch of homework right now, and tests, and projects….The horrors of high school. Anyways, I know this chapter's shorter than usual. Most of my chapters might be shorter than the first two though, they were incredibly long. But that means I'll be able to update more often. So please tell me if you want longer chapters, but I'll update less often, or shorter chapters, and I can update quicker. Oh yea, and for those of you that are wondering, Yumi is a character that I created. So, yea….i guess that's it. R&R….**

When Yumi and Sandry disentangled themselves laughing, Darra, who was attempting to see the stranger's face, finally caught sight of it. Yes, it was her, she had guessed right. The emperor's betrothed. She watched with open surprise as Yumi turned to hug Tris next, laughing like they were old friends.

Tris was as surprised as anyone when the door swung open to reveal Yumi. They had met a few years ago when she had gone to visit Sandry at Winding Circle. At first, Tris had found herself easily annoyed by the lively girl but when they had discovered their mutual love of books, they had become close friends.

Tris smiled and hugged Yumi back, here was someone who understood her love of books, and knew how to treat books with respect.

Yumi turned and greeted the other members of their family before turning curiously to Darra.

Sandry saw where her gazed was focused, and with a glance at Tris introduced them.

"Yumi, this is Darra Chandler, Tris' mother. Mistress Chandler, this is Lady Yumi, my cousin and close friend."

Darra curtseyed gracefully to the woman, finally understanding how Yumi had caught the emperor's eyes. The woman was beautiful, and seemed full of life. Her step was graceful, yet reflected her lively nature.

"Oh please get up," Yumi told her, "If you're my friend's mother, there is no need for formality.

"In fact," she continued, her eyes glinting wickedly, " You ought to come to the palace tomorrow. Tris, Sandry, Daja, and Briar are being introduced to court. I'm sure you want to be there to watch."

The siblings all groaned at hearing this. "Tomorrow, Yumi?" Sandry whined.

"well, I want you all to meet my betrothed as soon as possible." Yumi replied with a wicked smile.

"You're evil," Briar stated. "Sandry's gonna be after us all day trying to make new clothes."

Tris and Daja nodded in agreement.

_Please don't Sandry._ They thought to their sister, trying to come up with excuses.

_You already made clothes for us to wear at court in Ninver_ Daja reminded her sister nervously.

_I don't need that many clothes, Sandry, I really don't. _Briar thought to her.

_I've had a really rough day, _Tris told her, _Don't you think that I should skip the horrors of dress fitting? _

_Alright, _Sandry thought with a smirk _You can just join me in an embroidery session today, all of you. It'll be wonderful for you, Tris .It's very relaxing_.

The siblings reactions were almost comical. Briar had blanched, replying that he would rather sit in a room full of Bags. Daja had agreed to fittings, and Tris had backed away with a look of utmost horror on her face.

"Sandry," Yumi complained, "Stop having those silent conversations. You make me feel left out." She mocked whimpered, trying to keep the smile off her face.

"Fine," Sandry threw her hands in the air, "You can all wear those terribly out of fashion clothes."

And despite everything that had happened between her and her daughter, Darra knew that she could not have Tris walking into court in the shapeless gray dresses that she had last seen her in. Ninver would still say that Tris represented the Chandler family, after all, she still used their names.

"No! Absolutely not." She said vehemently, then blushed as the nobles turned to face her. "I will not have any daughter of mine being introduced into court wearing those ugly gray dresses."

Tris flinched at the thought of spending an afternoon in a dress shop, with her mother.

She was usually above begging, but desperate times call for desperate measures. _Save me…_she thought to her sisters, _Please, I'll do anything…..I'd rather-_ She was cut of by Briar, _I don't want to know merchant girl._

"Really, that's not necessary." Sandry replied, drawing on her intimidating noble self. "I can assure you that Tris will be dressed in fine clothes tomorrow." She replied with a smirk at her foster sister. Then she continued, venom in her voice, "Though, if I remember correctly, you were the one that gave her those horrible dresses to wear."

Darra flinched, while Yumi, seeing the cold glares mistress Chandler received from the mages remembered what Sandry had told her about Tris' parents. Well, it was too late to take back her invitation now, but…..

"Well, my friends and I have much to discuss Mistress Chandler." It was a clear dismissal."

Darra nearly squeaked under the pressure of five pairs of eyes glaring at her, but she knew how to operate under pressure. "Of course," she replied. "What time should I be at the palace?"

Yumi grimaced, having hoped the merchant would forget about that, "After lunch." She replied, her voice coldly polite.

"I'll see you there my daughter," Darra told her daughter, and with a curtsey, left the room.

Tris grimaced, unsure of what to do. She attempted a smile for Yumi, then told them that she was going to look at the sky. Her siblings nodded, not even protesting. Sandry just warned her to not draw a storm too near, the servants would probably die of fright.

The girl truged up the stairs, finally arriving at the room she had chosen, the highest in the manor, of course. She stood on the balcony and let the wind bring images to her. An image of Darra hit her. Tris was surprised to see her face, as confused as her own.

Darra Chandler was very confused. She had given her daughter up years ago. She wouldn't have cared if someone told her the girl was dead two days ago. But now, seeing her daughter, she had found herself surprisingly jealous of the playful banter Tris had had with the other strangers. They accepted each other as siblings, and Darra wished that she could be part of that. It surprised her really, how much she had missed her daughter. Bella was a good girl, but she could never share her mother's love of books like Tris had.

It was then that Darra decided that she must make Tris part of her family again. As a mother she missed her daughter and was jealous that she had found another family better than the Chandlers, as a merchant she knew what Tris' connection could bring to their family. Her stronger, merchant self defeated the mother in her that feared that her daughter would not see her as mother anymore. Tomorrow, Darra decided, she would have her daughter, and all of her connections back, with the whole Chandler house behind her.

**How'd you guys like it? Next chapter's going to be really interesting. Hehehe…..R&R , don't forget. **


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hi you guys….I'm back. Yes, I know I've been gone for a **_**very**_** long time but I promise, I'm not giving up on this story yet. I've just been very busy as in a bunch of projects, then finals which I had to get a hundred percent on to get A's, then 2 hours of summer school in the morning, 3-4 hours of volunteer work in the afternoon, then 3 hours of Chinese summer school at night, every day, with a bunch of projects in between. I'll skip all the other excuses, but I'm back now and due to procrastination of homework, I can assure you that I will be updating more often so don't give up on me yet. **

**Thanks to **Liarra, darkjewelledassassin, imakeladrygirl, Moony's Shady Lady, XIII Dragon, kaypgirl, Drenched in Emerald Rain, Misled Nymph, Andromeda Jones, HappeeGoLuckee, 'loha, whiterose619, scorpiogirl1031, Sika'sheart, Shadowsndust, Misery DeSoul, whispery, bloodmoon13, peppymint, Puppkid, LEPrecon Sprite, Orohippus, grey-eyed-goddess, Miguelito Halliwell, lime 63, BSGirl, Lioness Queen, SEAGUL, soupcan, and lady knight keladry **for all your review, they made my day and I really appreciated it. **

**Thanks especially to XIII Dragon who has reviewed every time. **

**SEAGUL: I just realized a few days ago that the reply I sent you was wrong. ****Tris, Daja, Sandry, and Briar should be about 18. ****I hadn't realized that they were 17 by the time they went to Namorn so I apologize if I confused you. **

**Enjoy reading, I know this time isn't as good but I'm still a little rusty from not writing in a while, I promise next time will be much better. Please R & R!**

When Yumi and Sandry disentangled themselves laughing, Darra, who was attempting to see the stranger's face, finally caught sight of it. Yes, it was she, Darra had guessed right. The emperor's betrothed. She watched with open surprise as Yumi turned to hug Tris next, laughing like they were old friends.

Tris was as surprised as anyone when the door swung open to reveal Yumi. They had met a few years ago when she had gone to visit Sandry at Winding Circle. At first, Tris had found herself easily annoyed by the lively girl but when they had discovered their mutual love of books, they had become close friends.

Tris smiled and hugged Yumi back, here was someone who understood her love of books, and knew how to treat books with respect.

Yumi turned and greeted the other members of their family before turning curiously to Darra.

Sandry saw where her gazed was focused, and with a glance at Tris introduced them.

"Yumi, this is Darra Chandler, Tris' mother. Mistress Chandler, this is Lady Yumi, my cousin and close friend."

Darra curtseyed gracefully to the woman, finally understanding how Yumi had caught the emperor's eyes. The woman was beautiful, and seemed full of life. Her step was graceful, yet reflected her lively nature.

"Oh please get up," Yumi told her, "If you're my friend's mother, there is no need for formality.

"In fact," she continued, her eyes glinting wickedly, " You ought to come to the palace tomorrow. Tris, Sandry, Daja, and Briar are being introduced to court. I'm sure you want to be there to watch."

The siblings all groaned at hearing this. "Tomorrow, Yumi?" Sandry whined.

"Well, I want you all to meet my betrothed as soon as possible." Yumi replied with a wicked smile.

"You're evil," Briar stated. "Sandry's gonna be after us all day trying to make new clothes."

Tris and Daja nodded in agreement.

_Please don't Sandry._ They thought to their sister, trying to come up with excuses.

_You already made clothes for us to wear at court in Ninver_ Daja reminded her sister nervously.

_I don't need that many clothes, Sandry, I really don't. _Briar thought to her.

_I've had a really rough day, _Tris told her, _don't you think that I should skip the horrors of dress fitting? _

_All right, _Sandry thought with a smirk _you can just join me in an embroidery session today, all of you. It'll be wonderful for you, Tris .It's very relaxing_.

The siblings' reactions were almost comical. Briar had blanched, replying that he would rather sit in a room full of Bags. Daja had agreed to fittings, while Tris had backed away with a look of utmost horror on her face.

"Sandry," Yumi complained, "Stop having those silent conversations. You make me feel left out." She mocked whimpered, trying to keep the smile off her face.

"Fine," Sandry threw her hands in the air, "You can all wear those terribly out of fashion clothes."

And despite everything that had happened between her and her daughter, Darra knew that she could not have Tris walking into court in the shapeless gray dresses that she had last seen her in. Ninver would still say that Tris represented the Chandler family, after all, she still used their names.

"No! Absolutely not." She said vehemently, then blushed as the nobles turned to face her. "I will not have any daughter of mine being introduced into court wearing those ugly gray dresses."

Tris flinched at the thought of spending an afternoon in a dress shop, with her mother.

She was usually above begging, but desperate times call for desperate measures. _Save me…_she thought to her sisters, _Please, I'll do anything…..I'd rather-_ She was cut off by Briar, _I don't want to know merchant girl._

"Really, that's not necessary." Sandry replied, drawing on her intimidating noble self. "I can assure you that Tris will be dressed in fine clothes tomorrow." She replied with a smirk at her foster sister. Then she continued, venom in her voice, "Though, if I remember correctly, you were the one that gave her those horrible dresses to wear."

Darra flinched, while Yumi, seeing the cold glares mistress Chandler received from the mages remembered what Sandry had told her about Tris' parents. Well, it was too late to take back her invitation now, but…..

"Well, my friends and I have much to discuss Mistress Chandler." It was a clear dismissal."

Darra nearly squeaked under the pressure of five pairs of eyes glaring at her, but she knew how to operate under pressure. "Of course," she replied. "What time should I be at the palace?"

Yumi grimaced, having hoped the merchant would forget about that, "After lunch." She replied, her voice coldly polite.

"I'll see you there my daughter," Darra told her daughter, and with a curtsey, left the room.

Tris grimaced, unsure of what to do. She attempted a smile for Yumi, then told them that she was going to look at the sky. Her siblings nodded, not even protesting. Sandry just warned her to not draw a storm too near, the servants would probably die of fright.

The girl trudged up the stairs, finally arriving at the room she had chosen, the highest in the manor, of course. She stood on the balcony and let the wind bring images to her. An image of Darra hit her. Tris was surprised to see her face, as confused as her own.

Darra Chandler was very confused. She had given her daughter up years ago. She wouldn't have cared if someone told her the girl was dead two days ago. But now, seeing her daughter, she had found herself surprisingly jealous of the playful banter Tris had had with the other strangers. They accepted each other as siblings, and Darra wished that she could be part of that. It surprised her really, how much she had missed her daughter. Bella was a good girl, but she could never share her mother's love of books like Tris had.

It was then that Darra decided that she must make Tris part of her family again. As a mother she missed her daughter and was jealous that she had found another family better than the Chandlers, as a merchant she knew what Tris' connection could bring to their family. Her stronger, merchant self defeated the mother in her that feared that her daughter would not see her as mother anymore. Tomorrow, Darra decided, she would have her daughter, and all of her connections back, with the whole Chandler house behind her.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Bella looked uncomfortable as she trailed after her mother. Although the Chandler house was wealthier than some of the lower nobility, they dared not wear the rich furs and finery that was the nobility's privilege to wear. Even in all their finery, the Chandlers would stick out in the crowd of nobles. She smiled at her betrothed walking behind her, at least he would allow her to fit in!

While the couple looked into each other's eyes, conveniently forgetting everyone else, while the rest of Bella's family looked disapprovingly at the two who had stopped and created a traffic jam to people trying to leave the hallway where they were standing, Tris and her family stood in the antechamber before the Great Stairway from which they would be presented.

_I think I'm getting dizzy_ Briar moaned, watching Yumi twit all over the room. She was moving faster than Briar had imagined a noble, pampered lady could, running around the room making sure that Sandry, Briar, Tris, and Daja were perfect. Daja laughed in her mind, as Sandry joined her running from Tris who was standing by the window, to Briar in the opposite corner by the plants, to Daja who stood at the opposite wall of the room, making sure there was no wrinkle in her clothes.

_Well, now I know which side of the family Sandry gets that particular, chipmunk-like trait from. _ Tris remarked dryly, backing away slowly as Sandry and Yumi converged on her, one to fix the sleeve of her dress, and the other, the wrinkle on her collar. _Yes, they do run around like squirrels,_ Briar agreed as he moved slowly to as far away from Tris and the two cousins as he could manage in the wide room. Sandry and Yumi turned almost simultaneously towards Briar with what the plant mage could have sworn was an evil grin on their faces. He dodged behind to young debutants, being introduced to society for the first time, but it was to no avail. The cousins had already spotted a wrinkle on Briar's tunic. He slapped away Sandry's hand lightly, as it moved to straighten out his wrinkle. Sandry glared at him, and in return he threw up his arms like he was protecting his head and cried out, "No Sandry, no please….there's no more wrinkles left, can't you just leave me alone?"

Daja, Yumi, and Sandry were reduced to laughter as Briar put on a mock fearful expression. Even Tris chuckled a little, the thief-turned-mage noted. He sister had been stiff and nervous all day, knowing that it was likely the entire Chandler family would turn up at court.

A man stalked up to Briar and tapped him on the shoulder. When the unsuspecting mage turned around, he found himself face to face with a handsome young man. "How dare you hit the most beautiful lady to have ever graced this hall!" he said. Briar furrowed his forehead in confusion before he understood. _Ah, another swain for Sandry…_he sang in his head to his foster sisters. Sandry frowned while Daja and Tris fought to hide their mirth. Daja, who had drifted over explained in whispers to Yumi what Briar had said. In response to Sanry's glare when Yumi had burst out laughing, the lady merely whispered in reply that she had nothing to do with this, and she hadn't set this man up. "You know I promised your uncle that you would be safe here, and that I would show you that you have no need to fear this empire, including its men."

"Well?" the man asked, his expression annoyed.

"I'm sorry sir, but I'm confused," Briar began, attempting innocence. "First, this isn't a hall, and second, I would never hit Lady Yumi." The mischievous sparkle in his eye made his attempt at innocence a failure.

"I meant this beautiful woman here." Was the reply. "She is more beautiful than any goddess." The man grabbed Sandry's hand before the mage could react. "Are you alright, my dear? Where does it hurt?" Sandry sent a pleading look to her friends but they merely laughed.

"It _is_ refreshing not to be called the most beautiful woman to ever grace these halls, you would think the bards are more creative. I've been hearing it ever since my betrothal was announced. " Yumi put in, before bursting into another fit of laughter.

"I believe that is blasphemous…" Tris remarked from her window.

"Now listen," the well-dressed young noble began hotly, "Don't you dare ever try that again or I will make sure you are punished for such an unchivalrous act. I am Lord-"

The man was cut off by Sandry, who had given up trying to tug her hand out of the man's hand. Seeing Briar about to interrupt angrily because of the man's contemptuous tone, she had dragged him towards the door at the other side of the room, wincing as the man told her she needn't be so brave. _We don't need any more enemies _she told her siblings.

Even some onlookers started laughing at the man attempting to look brave while being dragged away by the small noblewoman.

"Now really," Yumi began after she could manage to talk, "I just wanted you all to be perfect so everyone has a good impression.-"

"Yes, yes, we know, but we're perfectly fine…" Briar replied, cutting off Yumi.

"But now you've got all these wrinkles on your shirt." Sandry muttered having gotten rid of the annoyance. She glared at the cloth until it was perfectly smooth, then shifted her glare to Briar. "And don't _you_ dare move either."

"Yes, ma'am" Briar shouted, clicking his heels together and then becoming a statue, like the soldiers he had seen in his travels.

Yumi was about to retort when a servant came up. "I have to go!" she cried and ran out of the room, "Good luck!" she called over her shoulder. The servant and other debutants stared after their future empress in confusion.

"All right," a man wearing the royal colors commanded their attention. "If everyone would please line up? Umm…." He said as he looked through the list, "Would Lady Sandrilene fa Toren, mages Daja Kisubo, Trisana Chandler, and Briar Moss line up last please?"

The four grimaced at each other. They had been given the place of honor, even if they didn't want it. Reluctantly, they lined up behind the giggling young girls, some so nervous they looked ready to cry. _I feel ready to cry_. Sandry told her siblings. _Remind me again why I'm doing this?_

_We have to suffer too_ Tris replied. _And you're doing this because your cousin, who, might I add can be very frightening, wants to introduce her maid of honor to court._ The four sighed, turning themselves over to their fate.

Finally, their names were called and they walked down the stairs as gracefully as they could. The Great Throne room was blinding, with thousands of candles lighting each corner and reflecting off the gold.

They stopped before the dais where the emperor sat, Yumi sitting in a chair just below him. She smiled encouragingly, and her cousin was glad to realize how at home and comfortable Yumi seemed to be, sitting there. "Your imperial majesty." They murmured, as Sandry and Tris swept into a curtsy and Briar and Daja bowed.

The emperor's face broke into a happy grin and he stood, saying, "Please, rise, rise. I'm happy to meet any friend of my betrothed."

The mages rose and walked away, to the corners where they relaxed on benches. Nobles poured out to the middle to dance, but one had walked over to where Sandry sat.

They all groaned in unison as the annoying noble from before asked, "May I have this dance, my lady?"

Before the unfortunate lady could object, a familiar voice interjected. "Of course she would love to dance with you!"

Sandry turned to glare at her cousin before being dragged onto the dance floor by the overly exuberant man. _Do you think he'll still be so eager to be with me if I unravel his clothes?_ she asked her siblings. They each fought to hide a grin.

"Ahh…..I'm glad to find you are enjoying court so much, my dear Trisana."

The girl in question jumped slightly from her seat on the bench, then turned to find her sister and her betrothed, Darra, her father, brother, two uncles, their two sons, and her grandmother all standing behind her. "And I see that Lady Sandrilene was true to her word, that _is _a marvelous dress, isn't it mother?" Darra asked

Tris noted with satisfaction that her mother still winced when she called her hawk-like, mother-in-law, Uraelle, mother.

"Yes," the woman nodded in return as her predator's eyes swept over her granddaughter's dress. "It would fetch a hefty sum on the market. Although, I can see no reason why anyone would choose to waste such valuable material on you."

Yumi opened her mouth to reply, but a pleading look from Tris who was calming herself down silenced the future empress. They stood a few minutes in silence while Tris attempted to remember her uncles' names until Darra spoke. "Trisana, shouldn't you introduce your friend to us?"

A glare cold enough to freeze anything made the woman feel guilty as Tris fumed at the woman who reprimanded her as if she were a ten-year old child! "This is Lady Yumi, Briar, and Daja." She told her relatives stiffly. "Daj, Briar, Yumi, these are the people who wanted to disown me."

Here, Uraelle turned to her daughter-in-law, "Do you mean that you brought the entire family to court to talk to your good-for-nothing daughter. Now, everyone will know she is back, and those who had forgotten that she existed will remember the disgrace she brought upon the Chandler house! You have probably just ruined Bella's marriage! All that hard work."

Yumi, having unfortunately chosen that day to become hot-tempered was about to retort the Chandler matriarch before she caught herself. She smiled at the three siblings and told Tris, "Yes, I know, this isn't my problem. I don't have to worry about you and all that. Well, I'm going to go. Come and see me and my betrothed when you have a chance."

The weather mage smiled gratefully at her friend in return for giving her an excuse to leave her family when she wished to. When the lady had left, however, an uncomfortable silence settled. Finally, George broke the silence, "I would never reject Bella, Grandmother Uraelle, she is the most beautiful woman in the world. I can't wait for our marriage." Bella smiled up at him with lovesick eyes.

When Uraelle replied that she expected nothing less, she got no answer for the two were lost in each other's eyes. _Ugh, hit me the day I become like those two, _Briar said. But Daja had sent a stronger image of Rizu throughout the mages' mind barriers.

_Eww, Daja, we didn't need to think of Rizu like that,_ Sandry shouted through their link. Blushing, the trader left the group, dragging her sister with her. Tris, about to go with them was restrained by her brother.

Gulping, she turned to realize that there was only her, and her family, disregarding George and Bella in their own little world, in the corner of the room. "Let go of me." She told her brother, but he refused while Uraelle told her, "You will not leave until your mother explains why we were all brought here to see you."

Tris allowed a little lightning to spark on her arm, causing her brother to be surprised enough for her to yank her arm out of his grip. "_Mother_ will tell you what she wishes to. Frankly, I have no idea either. So if you will excuse me, the emperor and his bride-to-be wish to see me." And she marched away, ignoring the furious whispering behind her.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

As their things had not yet been moved to the palace, Sandry, Tris, Daja, and Briar returned to Sandry's town houses exhausted after a night of dancing, talking, and catching up with their friend Yumi. They didn't speak much as they trudged to their rooms. Daja was still tired from her injury, Sandry was busy evaluating over whether the emperor was a good choice for her cousin, Briar was thinking of the new court beauty he had been introduced to, and Tris was left to ponder what her family's intentions were for they were sending very mixed messages. _G'night_, they called to each other before disappearing behind their doors, or in Tris' case, up the staircase.

At the opposite end of Ninver, in the district where merchants lived the Chandler family, however, were still wide-awake and discussing what they had witnessed. Their scheming took them deep into the night until they finally decided on the best course of action to gain the advantages that Trisana had.

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

**If there are any inconsistencies in the story, please don't hesitate to tell me, or any spelling/grammatical errors. I would appreciate it. **

**Important I still don't have any names for the annoying noble, the emperor, or Tris' brother. I probably can't post the next chapter until I figure out their names. Hint hint. If you have a good, more unusual name for them, please tell me! I'll give the person with the best names a preview of what will happen in the story. I need names, PLEASE. **

**Please R&R, any reviews, especially constructive criticism are welcomed. I want to know what I can do to make the story more enjoyable for you… So, please R& R, and I promise the story will be getting more interesting. **


	6. Author's Note

Hi everyone, sorry, this isn't a chapter, just an author's note.

I know that it's been an incredibly long time since I last updated. Things have been so hectic in real life that I haven't been able to think about continuing writing, and I've been working on my own novel. To be honest, I've kind of forgotten the details of the story. But don't worry, I do plan to finish this story, though it may take much longer than I originally planned. I'm going to be editing the already posted chapters and changing them to fit how I write now, not that there's much of a difference. I'm pretty sure I won't be changing much of the story. Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to post up a new chapter until maybe December or later. But don't worry, I _will_ finish this.

So I just want to thank everyone who has not given up on this story these past two years and for all your encouragement and reviews, even if it does just say "please update"- even if I haven't been able to reply to your reviews, I have read every one of them and I appreciate them. And those readers who have still read this story even though it looks like I'll never finish. And sorry, to those people who thought this was going to be a real chapter. Unfortunately, real life trumps fanfiction.


	7. A Decision

A Decision

To everyone who's continued reading and keeping up with this story despite my years long hiatus, thank you so much for your support. When I first started writing fanfic, I was still doubting my ability to write and was pleasantly shocked by the wonderful reception this story received. Therefore, it is with great shame that I have to say, I lied. Some of you probably saw this coming but, I know I've told you all that I would finish the story, but when I tried to keep up with the schedule I gave you guys several months ago and sat down to write, I realized that I now know next to nothing about the Circle of Magic world.

Here's the thing. I had originally planned to write a similar story for Daine in the Tortall world, but had seen that there were already several, so I decided to transfer the idea onto Tris. However, I have to say that I didn't read all of the Circle of Magic books, nor do I really remember much of it compared to the Tortall books. In addition, I haven't actually taken part in the Tortall/Circle of Magic fandom in years having moved on to other very different books.

So first of all I'd like to offer my sincerest apologies to everyone who has read this story and hoped to read a good, well developed ending, especially to those who reviewed and supported me. I did say that I was going to finish this story, but that was mostly because I was thinking _I'm not a quitter,_ in my head. But considering my lack of knowledge, plus how much I've forgotten, I don't think I'm able to finish writing the story as well as others would be able to. I am considering writing other fanfics, probably in the Twilight fandom, where, a first chapter received totally dismal reception, haha. Just a note to anyone who might want to read any fanfics I might write in the future, this is not normal for me. I've been working on my own book for the last seven years and am still working on finishing it.

So the decision. I will either put this story up for adoption or else I can write a quick, to the point ending that completely skips out on what I was planning on adding. I will be putting up a poll for anyone that wants to uhhh continue with this story. In addition, I will be more than happy to give anyone who asks me a short outline of what I had planned.

Once again, I am so sorry for being unable to finish this fic.


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